Inflatable beach mat and a supporting frame therefor



L. WOLSHIN July 26, 1960 INFLATABLE BEACH MAT AND A SUPPORTING FRAME THEREFOR Filed Jan. 30, 1959 ef C , INVENTOR. Lows WoLsH\N d rroRNEY YINFL'Aram;r BEACH- MAT AND A SUPPORTING rnEREFoR .Louis Wolshn, Hialeah, Fla., `assignmof titty percent to Stanley Axelrod, Miami Beach, Fla.

Filed Jan'. 30, 15959, Ser. No'. 790,243

2 Claims. (Cl. 5-344) A This-,invention relates to a metall-ic frame support for the conventional exible beach mats that are adapted to he inflated for either disposition upon the" beachY ork in ffo'ating body supporting position within the water.

'be draped a covering' material such as a beach towel and whereby toprotect' the face of the user against' the direct' rays of the sun. A

The invention contemplates a; frame having multiple sections that, when in the extended form substantially embi-'acesf` the marginai edges' or" the mat and with the mat having 'apportions thatv are engaged with thea several members in snapped arrangement whereby'the mat is held against undue flexing.

The invention further contemplates a frame device and a llexible inatable beach matV whereby one section is provided with telescopic members and a connecting. bar and` whereby the several sections may be folded toa substantially triangular shape and whereby theV telescopic members maybe shifted' outwardly and folded downwardly to be angularly disposed over a head portion of the beach mat and whereby the beach towel or thelike may be supported thereon to constitute a shade.

Novel featuresV of construction and operation of. the device' will be more clearly apparent during the course of' the following description, reference being had to the accompanying `drawings wherein has been illustrated' a 'lnited States PatentA preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed `to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of va beach mat and a supporting frame in extended supported relation,

Figure 2 is an edge view thereof,

Figure 3 is an edge view illustrating the frame in the detached and folded position to angularly dispose a head rest of the mat and to dispose a shade supporting co-'ver over the head of the user and,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the device shown in Figure 3.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a beach mat, stitched or otherwise connected to form longitudinally extending inflatable sections 6.

The beach mat is of conventional construction and provides inflatable sections 7 that extend transversely of the mat and whereby to constitute a head rest. The mat 5 at spaced apart points, provided with tabs 8, having snap fasteneres 9 that are engageable with companion snap fasteners carried upon the frame, to be described. An ination tube 10 is connected to the mat at any desirable point whereby the mat may be manuicc Y y2 Y ally nated4 orY whereby the mat' may be taken to a source of compressediairforconnection to the tube 10. The frameV section embodies a'. foot section 11, ntermediate sections" 12 and head sections 13. The sections ,11", 12 and 1:3' are preferably tubular and the sections 1'1 and 13 are connected by tubular members 14 and 15. The sections l1 and 1:2' arereduced and apertured' to lreceive pivotal and; clamping, bolts 1'6,y while the sections 12' and 1j3A are similarly reduced. and apertured for the passage of pivotal. and clampingv bolts :17.

Telescopingj within the parallel` tubular leg portions of the sectionfl, are reduced' cylindrical rods 18, connected by' a cross-head 19; The rods 18 adjacent their inner ends' are pivotally connected at 2'0 to short4 cylindrical sections' 211 that are limited in theirV outward movement by any suitable means and whereby the extension of the Y members V18 are limited to exposev the pivots 20. A reduced end of the members 21' furnish a stop shoulder to limit the downwardl .swinging movement of the mem,- bersj 1S when in the extended position. The frame Vi'orm'ed by sections 11", 1'2 and' 13 are foldable upon each other' to form a triangular support, as illustrated in Fig- Vure 3'. The cross member 1'4 of the frame members 1'1 is suitablyapertured` to vreceive studs 22, carried by the underside of the leg portions 13 and whereby the anguv larity' of the headv rest' may be adjusted to suit the particular individual'. The' several frame members are pref.- i' erably formed of a material having a high resistance to l corrosion since. the device is adapted to be used in. and adjacent to bodies of salt water'. formed of plastic orrubber and is constructed in a conventional manner.

Y, p Inthe use of the device when the pad 5 is to be cmpl'oyed to support. an individual in a. reclining positionv in the VKwater, the yseveral `frame members. are extended and the nuts `I6 and17 tightened to maintain the frame in the 'extended' and conforming position. with respect to the mat 5. The several tabs 8. are then snapped into engagement, with the mating snap fasteners carried by the. member 14, vthe, frame members I1', I2, I3 and the cross member 15, jtherebyzholding Vthe pad i'n the fully extended position and". supporting the individual thereon. Therv device. is adapted' to be used either asa beach mat or as a floating support in the water andthe frame supports. the pad infa manner' that facilitates its engagementV by persons who 4are swimming and desire to climb upon the matas a. water support. .When it is desired that .the device either inthe Water or upon the beach be adjusted to provide an angular head rest, the nuts 16 and 17 are loosened and the frame members 11 and 12 swung rearwardly so that the frame members 12 constitute a ground rest, while the frame members 11 are swung forwardly to engage either of the studs 22, causing the frame members to be angled upwardly to form a triangular frame. Should it be desired that the head of the user be covered by shade, the telescopic members 18 and 21 are shifted outwardly from the members 13 to the point where the members 21 are limited in their outward movement, in which position the members 18 and .the cross member 19 are swung rearwardly to be angularly disposed with respect to the supported head rest 7. It will be understood of course that the flaps 8 that are connected with the frame members 11 and 12 are first disengaged to permit the swinging of the frame members 11 and 12. Any suitable shade device, such as the conventional beach towel is then draped over the cross member 1S and the cross member 19, thus constituting a verydesirable shade device for the head of the user -as disposed upon the head rest 7. The head rest remains in snapped engagement with the members 13 at al1 times, either in the extended position or -in the angular head rest forming position; The device in the angularv The pad 5- may be v float upon the water or it may constitute a support for the body of the user when employed upon the beach. Any suitable means may be formed upon the cross members and 19 that will frictionally engage the beach towel 23 to maintain it in the covering position.

l-t will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel form of supporting frame has been provided for the conventional exible and inflatable beach mats and whereby to support the beach mat against undue exing and tipping when engaged by a swimmer in the water and thus greatly facilitates his engagement therewith. When the frame is to be extended from the positions shown in Figures 3 and 4, the towel 23 is removed and the members 18 swung forwardly so that they are in axial alignment with the members 21, after which the members 18 and 21 are telescoped into the members 13, to the point where the cross member 19 lies in abutting engagement with the cross member 15. The members 13 are then lifted upwardly to disengagement of the studs 22 from the openings of the frame members 11 and the frame members 11 and 12 are then swung downwardly and forwardly to be extended to a point where they are in axial alignment with the frame members 13, in which position the nuts 16 and 17 are again tightened to maintain the frame in a substantial rectangular form. The remaining tabs 8 are then again connected to the frame members 11 and 12 and the cross frame member 14, again supporting the pad against flexing. The device is extremely simple, is strong, durable, cheap to manufacture and is most effective for maintaining a conventional beach mat in either the extended position or in an angular head rest.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and `desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A frame device for supporting a beach mat against ilexing when the mat is oatingly supported in the water, the frame being rectangular in shape and comprising end sections and an intermediate section that are hingedly connected together, means carried by the beach mat and whereby to fixedly connect the marginal edge portions of the mat with respect to the several frame members, the beach mat having a head rest, the frame members being foldable upon their hinge joints and whereby one end section is connected to the opposite end section for angularly disposing the opposite end section, means telescopic within the last named end section that is extendable and foldable over the head rest and whereby to support a flexible shade thereover and means to limit the downward swinging movement of the extended section whereby it is disposed above and in overlying relation to the head rest, the said frame embodying a U-shaped foot section, a U-shaped head section and connecting intermediate members, the foot and head sections being hingedly connected through the intermediate sections, clamping nuts carried by the hinges and whereby to rigidly support the frame in an extended position to embrace the marginal edges of the mat, the mat being provided with a plurality of flexible tabs and with each of the tabs being provided with snap fasteners that have mating engagement with snap fasteners carried by the several frame members, a shade holding device that is telescopic within parallel sides of the head section, the telescopic sections being connected by a cross rail, the said foot section and the intermediate sections being shiftable upon their hinge joints and with the foot section being adjustably connected to the head section and whereby to form a triangle with the head section being angularly supported, the head section in its angularity supporting the head rest in an angular position, the said telescopic sections being extendable and hingedly connected whereby to angle the extended portion downwardly 'm overlying relation to the head rest of the mat and means to limit the downward movement of the extended section and whereby to support the shade covering in upper spaced relation with respect to the head rest of the mat, the said foot frame and the intermediate frame members being disconnected with respect to the mat during their folding operation.

2, The 1structure according to claim 1 wherein the several frame members and the telescopic member are tubular, spaced apart studs carried by the underside of the head frame and with the foot frame being provided with openings for the reception of the studs when the frames are folded to the triangular form and whereby to adjustably dispose the head section at a predetermined angularity.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,984,786 Dujardin Dec. 18, 1934 2,014,614 Czygan Sept. 17, 1935 2,304,700 Manville Dec. 8, 1942 2,840,142 Haug June 24, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 171,904 Switzerland Dec. 1, 1934 850,936 Germany Sept. 29, 1952 986,147 France Mar. 21, 1951 1,141,744 France Mar. 18, 1957 

